Electric lock.



No. 888,285. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908.

S. W. WIBEL, N. J. MOALONEY & W. R. CUNNINGHAM.

ELECTRIC LOCK.

APPLIUATION FILED 11111.29, 1906.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 888,285. PATENTED MAY 19, 1908. S. W. WIBE L, N. J. MoALONEY & W. R.CUNNINGHAM.

ELECTRIC LOCK.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 29. 1906.

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awn e13 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTOE.

SOLOMON W. WIBEL, NATHAN J. MCALONEY, iND WILLLABI R. CUNNINGHAM, OFDENVER. COLORADO.

ELECTRIC LOCK.

Application filed January 29, 1906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, SOLOMON W. WIBEL, NATHAN J. MeALoNEY, and VVILLIAMR. CUNNINGHAM, all citizens of the United States, residing at the cityand county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain newand useful I111 rovements in Electric Locks; and we do dec are thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention,such as will -enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form apart of this specification.

Our invention relates to electric lock mechanism or more correctlyspeaking to a lock in which the latch or movable locking device or boltis moved to the unlocked position through the instrumentality of anelectro magnet of any suitable type. Provision is v made whereby aspecial device is required in trolling electro-magnet is located.

order to close the circuit in which the con- A switch for controllingthe circuit may be located at any suitable distance from the place wherethe door to be unlocked is located.

Our improved mechanism will be described herein with special referenceto its use as a lock for car doors, though it must be understood that itmay be employed to advantage 11 many other relations where a safety lockis required.

In the use of our mechanism in connection with car doors, it is evidentthat the means employed may be' considerably varied. The circuit wiresmay be extended for any desired distance along the track and suitablysupported. The car when run anywhere in the vicinity of these wires maybe unlocked by the use of a suitable rod or pole having electricconductors running through it and protruding from the top thereofwhereby they are adapted to be hooked over the circuit wires. At theopposite extremity of the pole, a key may be connected with theseconductors, the same having contacts adapted to bridge the space betweenelectrodes carried by the lock casing, whereby the circuit is' closedthrough the electro-magnet which acts to move the latch or bolt thusreleasing the door. It is evident that other means may be employedbetween the external circuit and-the magnet circuit for transmitting thecurrent to the latter.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 19, 1908.

Serial No. 298,424.

external circuit, to the wires of the magnet or internal circuit. Fig. 2is a fragmentary view of a car showing the lock casing in section, andthe lock mechanism in elevation. This view may-be said to be a sectiontaken on the line 2-2 Fig. Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 33 Fig.2 looking downwardly. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but entirely inelevation. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the key or device forbr1dging the electrodes with which the wires of the magnet circuit areconnected.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Let the numeral 5 designate the body of a car provided with a slidingdoor 6 having a keeper 7 which protrudes into a recess 8 formed in thecasing 9 surrounding the door of the car. Mounted on the car adjacentthe recess 8, is a casing 10 in which is located an electro-magnet'12.

i As shown in the drawing the locking device proper is of lever-likestructure being composed of a bar 12 fulcrumed at 14 on an upright part13. The forward extremity of this bar is hook-shaped as shown at 15whereby it is adapted to engage or cooperate with the keeper 7 forlocking the door. The extremity-of the bar 12 opposite its lockingextremity, consists of a member 16 extending at a suitable angle to thebar 12". The free extremity of this member 16 is provided with anarmature plate 17 located in suitable proximity to one extremity of themagnet 12. \Vhen this magnet is deenergized, the locking bar occupiesthe position shown in full lines in Fig. 2. hen, however, the magnet isenergized the electromagnetic force acting on the armature plate 17,throws the locking device to the dotted line position (see Fig. 2),whereby the keeper 7 of the sliding door 1s released, allowing the doorto be opened at pleasure.

The lock casing 10 is provided with two separated electrodes 19 whichare insulated from each other. These electrodes are of the poleadapted-to engage the wires B and The conductors F and G form a flexiblecoi1-.

connected with the magnet coils by conductors 21 and 22. The coils ofthe magnet are normally denergized or inactive.

In Fig. 1 of the drawing a circuit is diagrammatically illustratedcomprising an electric source A, conductors B and C leading from theopposite extremities of the source. A switch E is so located that it canonly be operated by an authorized person. Assuming that the conductors Band C extend along the track upon which the car 5 is run, a person whodesires to open the car door 6, must first make arrangements to have theswitch E of the circuit closed. He then takes a g pole D through whichrun conductors F and G having hook-shaped extremities at one end C. Asthese conductors run through the pole, they are exposed at the lower endthereof and terminate in contacts Hand I mounted on a block J having ahand piece K.- These contacts H and I are located just far enough apartto bridge the space between the electrodes 19 mounted on the lockcasing.

nect-ion between the block J and the pole, thus permitting convenientmanipulation of the block for the purpose of closing the magnet circuit.It must be understood that other means may be employed for transmittingthe current from the external or main circuit to the wires of the magnetcircuit.

From the foregoing description the use and operation of our improvedmechanism will be readily understood. Assuming that tliecar door islocked and that it is desired to open the lock, an authorized personfirst ascertains that the switch E is closed whereby the current fromthe source passes through the conductors B and G. Then by the use ofthe, pole D he hooks the conductors F and G over the wires of the maincircuit, and applies the contacts H and I to the electrodes 19 of thelock casing thus closing the magnet circuit. The magnet being energizedacts upon the armature plate 17 to throw the latch to the dotted lineposition in Fig. 2, permitting the door of the car to be opened. It ispreferred to employ a spring of suitable construction which actsnormally to hold the locking device in the locked position. In Fig. 2 ofthe drawing a leaf spring 20is illustrated. It will be understood thatif the locking device occupies a In applying our improved lockmecha'nism to a car or other structure, the lock casing 10 is connectedwith the wall of the car by means of bolts 23 whose head extremities areconcealed within the casing and whose threaded extremities to which thenuts are applied, are located on the inside of the car.

The recess 8 into which the keeper 7 rotrudes as well as the hookedextremity of the locking device, is closed exteriorly' by a plate 24with which bolts-25 are formed integral. These bolts pass through thewall of the car surrounding the door, and are secured by nuts on theinside. The keeper is also secured by bolts 26 whose head extremitiesonly are exposed, their threaded extremities being located on the insideof the car and suitably secured by nuts. By virtue of this constructionan evilly disposed person has no opportuuity to tamper with themechanism or open the car door, without first closing the magnet circuitand energizing the magnet as heretofore explained.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is:

The combination with a kee er connected with the part to be secured, alacking device suitably fulcrumed above the electro-magnet, the lockingdevice having an armature part adapted to be acted on by the energizedmagnet to operate the locking device, stationary terminals suitablyseparated and electrically connected with the coils of the magnet, anexternal circuit, and a portable device adapted to be connected with theexternal circuit at one extremity and with the terminals of the magnetat the other extremity, to complete the circuit through the magnetcoils.

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in presence of twowitnesses.

SOLOMON W. WVIBEL. NATHAN J. MOALONEY. WILLIAM R. CUNNINGHAM. Witnesses:

A. J. OBRIEN, DENA NELsON.

